Using
the Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine, the Loricraft PRC, the Knosti/Disco
Antistat, do the cleaning by hand, or construct an effective and safe
cleaning device yourself...

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My
Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine has cleaned
over 30.000 records. That is more than 60.000 sides.
Not counting the many records the previous owner
did clean with this machine.As
a hobbyist and a collector I offer to clean records for other collectors.

I
have spoken to many record collectors. What struck me was that many
have invested in cartridges of $2000 and even $3000 or $7000. But
they do not own a proper record cleaning machine.
If you are new to the game, or your record collection is growing,
you better invest in a Keith Monks or a Loricraft or other machine
working along the same principles and then start saving for the esoteric
cartridge and phono cables.

I
have also overheard talk (and have read comments) of collectors who
think that cleaning a record for longer than two turns is a waist
of time. Do they have to catch a train?An
important aspect of listening to analog sound is that the actual engraved
signal should be as good as can be. The actual signal is far more
important than tape hiss, the noise of the vinyl or a few ticks.

There
is much you can do to improve the signal by using a Stabilizing Weight,
a Stabilizing Ring, a better cable... but most important is cleaning
the record first and removing the debris (which has been collected
during many years of use) out of the groove in case of a vintage disc.
Or clean a new record as well to discover its full sound potential.

The Keith
Monks Record Cleaning Machine (KMAL) is one of the world's best
devices for cleaning records and keeping them in excellent condition.
The Loricraft Record Cleaning Machines (PRC) work along the
same principle devised by the late Percy Wilson, but they omit
the stationary brush and the motorized unwinding of the buffer thread.
The advantage is that the Loricraft machines are about half the price
of the Keith Monks.
From Germany there are two machines built along the same construction
principles: SB+ and SBPro.

With
machines that are constructed along the principles of Keith Monks,
extraordinary results can be obtained if an effective cleaning solution
is used. Not only dirty records can improve, but also many old records
from the vintage era and from the early days of mono can successfully
be cleaned and regain in many cases a lot of their former splendor.

The
Advice Of Experts

You read
all sorts of advice on the internet about what the best record cleaning
machines are in case you want to buy one.
Web pages with headings like "The 5 best record cleaning machines"
and "The 8 best cleaning machines for vinyl records"
are published, written by experts. Well, that is what they say they
are.

Let me
tell you, there are roughly 4 categories of cleaning machines. There
is the cheap and practical Disco-Antistat if you do not have
the money to buy a more sophisticated machine. Then there are the
machines that work with a suction arm that vacuums the entire record
surface in one or to revolutions. In this category there is a variety
of machines, ranging from the cheap and loud Okki Nokki to the expensive
machines made by Clearaudio and VPI. Then there is the system that
cleans the groove with ultrasound. In essence this should be a good
method if it were not for the necessity of letting the record drip-dry.
A couple of months ago I receive a mail from a music listener. He
had spend a large amount of money to buy a record cleaning machine
that works with ultra sound. His problems was that after drying the
record he heard some background noise caused by the residue of the
cleaning liquid in the groove. I advised him to buy a Loricraft or
a Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine. These are the best machines.
I have not heard from him since. I presume that he currently plays
perfectly cleaned LP records.

Do
Newly Pressed Records Need Cleaning?

YES,
also newly pressed records can be cleaned so the residue left in the
groove, the pressing oil/fat included, will be eliminated. New does
not always mean clean! Recently a complete set
of Haydn Trios (completely new) was offered to a friend and we discovered
that the sound was not as clear as on the Philips set I own. After
cleaning the records thoroughly, the piano had its defined sound and
the string instruments now sounded harmonious and refined.

My
tip: Never buy a sealed LP, or more records in a sealed box or
gatefold cover. "Factory sealed" does not necessarily mean
"impeccable". There is no guarantee the disc is MINT. You
may come home and open the blister and be surprised: thin vinyl, small
scuffs, badly pressed vinyl, etc. And what will the seller answer
when you tell him that the record you bought from him was not OK?
When I am in a shop and see a sealed record, I ask the attendant or
shop owner to remove the plastic so we can check the surfaces together,
or I just open the plastic myself so I can check the surfaces myself.
Recently I bought a sealed opera box and a wooden box with vintage
recordings made in Russia. The dealer took of the plastic, and yes,
there was spot on one of the sides of the opera issue and there was
a tick in one of the recordings made in Russia. And both boxes were
factory sealed!

The cleaning
liquid should have optimal proportions of distilled water, industrial
alcohol and the exact number of drops of an industrial detergent,
a very good (pure) washing detergent and/or a wetting agent.

For cleaning 78 RPM shellac records never
use alcohol but just distilled water. You can visit the web sites
of the 78 RPM specialists.

Not every
cleaning liquid on the market will give maximum results.There
are several well known commercial record cleaning formulas from different
manufacture that contain some sort of grease in order to put a thin
layer/film of "grease" over the surface of the LP. The aim
is to let the diamond tip glide easily over the walls of the engraved
vinyl groove. It should be a very thin film though. These formulas
do their work right if that is the effect what you ask. But generally
they do not deep clean the groove as a pure cleaning liquid does.
The "greasy" solutions can be applied with some success
only if the record was thoroughly cleaned first. Just think of
this: when washing your hair... do you use a shampoo with built in
cream rinse? A "fatty" cleaning liquid will add width
to the micrometers that represent the engraved signal but also to
the structure of the vinyl. And that can be heard!

I
have also experimented much with LAST record preservative applied
after a record had been cleaned. LAST record preservative makes the
stylus ride smoothly in the groove. And that is what you can hear
because the edgy sound of for example digitally recorded strings can
get a more friendly character.

Of
late I experimented also with L'Art du Son cleaning formula applied
as sole liquid. You can use it succesfully with records that are already
quite good. But "burned in" dirt and debris will not easily
go away with this liquid. It was clear to me that for some older records
there should be a "clean" cleaning first with my own formula
and after the record had been dried thoroughly (eventually during
the night) it can be washed again with L'Art du Son. In all cases
your ears should be the determining factor as there can be a clear
or subtle difference "before and after". See also WHAT
DOES THE CLEANING LIQUID DO.

On
the web one can read about the benefits of this treatment solution.
There are also reports on the fact that the deluted solution becomes
troubled if stored in a plastic container. So there is the advice
of using a glas jar. However I found that a glas jar does not prevent
the liquid from getting opaque. So the best thing is to make a small
portion each time, just enough for the number of records to be cleaned
in a session.

It
is best if the cleaning liquid does contain no grease at all. The
molecular structure of fat can coincide with the size of tiny engravings
of frequencies. More so it prevents the direct contact of the stylus
with the groove wall.
Playing a completely clean groove will even out very tiny holes in
the vinyl as the needle tip reaches a high temperature (900 to 1200
degrees Celsius) and that for a very short time when riding the groove.
And that effect is appreciated by many vinyl lovers. It goes without
saying that the needle tip should be clean and dry as well. You can
use the same cleaning formula for the cartridge tip. Apply it with
a soft brush first and than clean the actual diamond tip with the
special LAST brush.

Furthermore
the grease (or whatever additive is used by manufacturers of special
liquids) smoothes out the information in the mid band and the mid-high
register as if the tiny diamond tip is skipping some information.
The effect is that the attack and the transient response are somewhat
hampered.

Also
the application of special, more or less volatile, liquids which put
a thin layer between needle tip and vinyl groove can have this effect:
the high frequencies are sounding "nicer and refined", but
the attack of instruments can be less clear. A problem with these
liquids is also that they are not easily applied evenly on the record's
surface.
Only after cleaning the completely dry record has been played entirely,
the cleaning with grease containing liquid or one of those special
liquids like LAST Record Preservative can be applied, only of course
if you really want to! Because it can depend on the record. Some fierce
sounding Mercury LPs sound much better with Record Preservative. You
yourself have to judge whether you use such a product on all records.

Improving
the Signal by Playing and Washing.

You can
play a record immediately after a wash. However it is better to wait
some time (an hour) before playing the record. After a day the record
will sound even better. It is important that the vinyl is completely
dry. The molecular water drops should have evaporated completely.
The vinyl should regain its hard structure.

If you
give the record a second wash after playing, you will notice that
the signal will improve even further. An extra improvement can be
obtained by playing the record once again but now with a spherical
diamond tip, and then wash the record again.

The grease
prevents this improvement. Do not forget that the engravings are mere
micrometers. The improvement is hardly or not at all reached when
using a Knosti / Disco Antistat basin, as only vacuuming the surfaces
will rid the groove of dirt and grease completely. And you should
know that if the groove of a second hand record is severely damaged,
because the previous owner played it with a worn needle, than only
slight improvement can be reached.

Keith
Monks's ingenious machine cleans the record by applying the cleaning
liquid via brushes on the record which is spinning at about 80 RPM.
Dirt and grease will gradually be solved and will float in the liquid.
A vacuum pump which is connected to the special arm will suck the
record completely dry. The Loricraft PRC omits the brush and the little
motor that releases the buffer-thread from the spool. But the Loricraft
is less costly.

In order not to damage the record
a thread acts as a buffer between the record's surface and the white
Teflon nozzle at the end of the arm. The drawing shows its functioning.
The unwinding nylon thread is guided through a thin copper tube
to the end of the arm. There it is inserted into the white Teflon
nozzle.

Together
with the dirty cleaning liquid, the thread is transported by the
suction of the pump and lands in the jar with discarded cleaning
liquid. The suction arm is driven by a belt and moves slowly, starting
at the label and moving towards the periphery of the record.

The
best option for a buffer thread is the nylon thread as it was
originally used by Keith Monks. It came from England and was The
Celebrated Talbot No. 30. Not solid but the braided type. This
make is no longer available. Many owners of Keith Monks and of
Loricraft machines have been experimenting to find a solution.

Polyester
is not the best alternative, but always better than polyester
mixed with cotton as cotton absorbs the liquid and expands and
this obstructs the suction. At one time I used a very thin thread
of polyester that I doubled, wound on an old spool using an electric
drill. That double thread worked fine.

One
negative aspect using the Talbot thread came to light when the
thread was confronted with the rough edge of a 1950's record and
the thread was massed up at the jar and I had to solve the obstruction.

Doing
some experiments can do no harm. Always try on an old record as
with some threads the vinyl could probably be damaged. The best
option is to find a manufacturer of nylon thread or just ask Keith
Monks or Loricraft.

Often
I have been looking for a nylon thread to be replaced in the Keith
Monks RCM. When my small stock of Calibrated Talbot nylon thread
would soon run out, I went looking for an alternative again. A
few years ago I had bought a large spool of green nylon thread
at a haberdashery shop, tried the thread and was not too happy
with the result. But that was before I installed the new KNF vacuum
pump. Some time ago I discovered that the jar for the used fluid
was not properly sealed and I solved that problem. Now I wound
the green nylon thread on a small spool and installed it in the
machine. I found that it worked wonders and that it was transported
very well through the tube. This is the wire: Red fish 210D/2
which is 0.25 mm thick and is available in a variety of colors.
The color is of no importance of course.

Guiding
the Thread Through the Arm Tube

So,
the original thread is not cotton because that soaks up the
cleaning liquid and therefor it will be transported with difficulty
into the discarded liquid jar. If you want to use the original
nylon kind of thread, you can order it from Jon Monks, from
Loricraft or from Russ Andrews.

1.
First open the machine by lifting the top plate and secure
it so it will not fall down on your hands. Unlock the screw
at the side of the spool with thread so the spool can turn
easily.

2.
For the guiding of the thread you need a plastic tube that
is long enough to make a bend and at one end is large enough
to fit on the nozzle (more or less). You can make the other
end fit to the copper tube from which the thread emerges by
inserting a short piece of smaller tube (see the image). Another
method is to take off the tube at the point where it connects
to the nozzle. And insert it into the temporary (green in
the image) tube.

3.
Now you have a closed loop. The spool positioned underneath
the arm, should be loose so it can turn freely. Switch on
the pump and see to it that the thread is coming out of the
thin copper tube. Unswitch the pump and disconnect the green
tube. Then pull about one feet of nylon thread out of the
copper tube.

4.
Connect the armtube to the nozzle and switch on the pump.
Then lead the thread into the nozzle. It will be sucked up
and be transported in the arm back to the waste jar.

5.
After a while the thread can be seen in the tube that connects
to the jar. Switch off the vacuum pump. Unscrew the lid of
the jar and check if the thread is coming through. Screw the
lid on the jar and close the lid of the machine. Now take
a cup which is completely filled with water and hold this
under the nozzle and switch the pump on. The thread will easily
be transported into the jar.

6.
Lift the lid of the machine and fix (secure) the spool. You
can start cleaning.

After
the First Wash.

After the first wash, I apply -if necessary- a
special cleaning liquid with a brush, by hand. This only if persistent
grease (sometimes even glue) and other properties, need to be
solved and removed. After that the record is cleaned on the Keith
Monks Machine for a second time.Records
cleaned in this way will sound even better. A clean record will
extend the life of the record and of the needle tip of the cartridge
and will increase realism and will increase your listening pleasure.

A
groove pictured before and after, images taken from the Keith
Monks literature. Photo by Mr. Aalt Jouk van den Hul.

As with
all equipment the effectiveness depends on its functioning. Therefore
technical insight in its functioning, cleaning the brushes once in
a while, emptying the containers in time, and finally mixing the best
ingredients to obtain an effective cleaning liquid, these are all
essential for the machine to deliver the best performance and
give the best sonic results. I have a lot of experience regarding
the cleaning of records. Do not hesitate to send me ane-mail if you want advice.

There
are many record cleaning machines on the market. The Loricraft cleaning
machine works along the same principle as the Keith Monks and is very
effective and also less expensive than the Keith Monks. The VPI and
Clearaudio have similarities and do work very well. They do not have
a suction arm which moves from label to periphery, but have a long
pipe with a slot which is put over the record and sucks the liquid
and dirt in just in one or two turns of the record.

The Nitty
Gritty machines follow the same principle. Zenn Audio in Singapore
proposes a fast centrifugal cleaning machine (without dry suction
via a vacuum pump). Recently a small machine is available on the market.
It is the Cadence Okki Nokki. The platter, motor and pump seem to
be sturdy and well working, though the pump is loud, but check carefully
if you like the suction arm which has some rough felt around the mouth
and could damage your vinyl. In my view that part should be improved
and be made safer for your records.

The
simplest DIY Cleaning Machine consists of a sturdy record player (Lenco
or Goldring) that can play at high speed (78 to 80 RPM), a nylon brush,
a carefully constructed mouth piece with soft lining, a glass jar
with screwable lid, plastic transparent tube, and an old vacuum cleaner
or other effective pump. See to it that the hoses (tubes) are not
too wide but have a reduced capacity so that the liquid does not enter
the vacuum cleaner. Brushing at high speed and vacuuming at a low,
convenient speed.

This
is a simple way to clean records by hand and rinse them under the
tap. Take care that the labels do not get soaked and damaged. This
method is generally not advised as it leaves minerals and chemicals
in the groove. However, it can be a first step when you need to clean
records which are covered by colonies of mold (...).

Do
You Own a Record Cleaning Machine and
Want to Improve its Functioning?

Maybe
you can learn from some of the improvements I made on the Keith Monks
Record Cleaning Machine.

1.
Locate the machine in a separate room, an attic or in a (dry) garage.

2.
Build a cabinet to place the machine on. Calculate the height
of the cabinet in such a way that you can easily put a record on the
platter without damaging it.

3.
Build a roof over the machine and install a ventilator (fan)
connected to an exhaust pipe The pipe should end in a hole in the
outside wall, door or window.

4.
Take the vacuum pump out of the Keith Monks Machine's cabinet
and place it on a wooden base and decouple it with springs. Buy extra
lengths of tube and wire to connect the pump.

5.
Mount to the left and right of the ventilator small 25 or 40 Watt
bulbs. You can connect the lamps and the ventilator to the same
switch so both will function when you are cleaning records.

6.
Buy a new belt and improve the drying of the record.
The suction arm should move slowly from the center of the record to
the periphery. Many users complain about the fact that the arm skips
a few grooves and leaves some liquid on the record's surface. The
best thing to do is to use a new arm belt that you can buy at a camera
repair shop where they also sell belts for movie projectors. Take
the old belt with you and ask for a similar new one. In most cases
they cannot supply a belt with the same thickness but just smaller.
That will do the trick. Now the arm will move slower and will not
skip part of the record. Of course drying will take a bit more time.
But who cares if one has a valuable record collection. So many times
I read in threads and lists that a virtue of this or that machine
is that it cleans in just X seconds. I do not understand those people.
What is it that you want? Saving 30 seconds? Just do not start cleaning
a record when you have to catch a train.

7.
Check the functioning of the vacuum pump. Check the pump from
time to time and clean the innards carefully and put everything back
the same way you took the various parts out before you started to
clean the pump.

The
result is:

a.
The exhaust prevents you from being exposed to the cleaning liquid
which contains a high percentage of alcohol.

b.
Because the pump has been placed underneath the machine and on springs,
the machine does not vibrate and the platter turns in a silent way
without the suction arm being moved by the vibrations. The effect
is a smooth and even drying of the record.

If you own an old Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine
and there is some problem with one or more of the functions of the
machine, related to the pump, the suction arm, the thread or the
small liquid pump, you can contact the firm on the Keith Monks website.
The service of the firm is rather bad. Maybe you have to improvise.
Furthermore the prices of the spare parts are relatively high. You
better look for alternatives.

First
of all for the nylon thread. The thread which is sold today is not
the thread which Keith Monks used to sell to owners. The new thread
is thin and deteriorates easily. Better find an alternative. And
if you do not find what you need in local stores, you still can
contact the manufacturer of the machine in England or you can contact
Loricraft of course.

A
new belt, for example, can be obtained from a camera repair shop
which sells all sorts of belts for movie projectors and tape recorders.
Or you can find a company on the Internet like Elexatelier in the
US.

If you have a machine which uses the Lenco/Goldring variable drive
and you need a new idler wheel, you can try to find one of the Lenco
turntables second hand and remove the idler wheel plus attachment
and mount it in your KM RCM. It should be an old Lenco that is not
worth being restored. Old it should be because nowadays Lenco machines
are in demand to be refurbished and mounted on a slate plinth by
many audiophiles.

Or
again you can try the Internet. There are addresses where you can
have an idler wheel made to your specifications by sending the existing
wheel and they will refurbish it (vulcanize).

It
is not surprising that some day - after decades of service - the
toggle switches do not work properly any longer, especially when
you have cleaned 20.000 records (40.000 record sides). Various machines
use different toggle switches in different configurations. Make
a drawing of the existing wiring before disconnecting a switche
and exchange it for a new one. The new switches should work exactly
the same way as the original ones.

If
a small liquid pump does not work any longer you can reconstruct
a pump by using the parts of the original pump (choke), or search
for a hand pump or some device you can use to construct the hand
pump. Or make a pump as the drawings below show you on the basis
of the old defect choke.

If
you want to repair the original vacuum pump, than you have to be ingenious
and find a way to replace plungers, rubber rings and make the small
round "valves" yourself.
If you need a new pump, you can contact the representative of knf.com
(KNF Neuberger, Germany). I recently bought the KNF N022ANE. It is
the pump in this image.

How
to Clean the Tubes?

Push
a small piece of cotton wool through the tubes using a flecible
yet sturdy wire.

When
buying a second hand Keith Monks Record Cleaning Machine you have
to pay attention to a few important points. You must check if the
pump is working and if it is not, you probably can detect what the
trouble is. If the pump does not function at all and is irreparable,
you should order a new pump with a similar capacity.

Next
question when examining a second hand machine: Does the motor for
the movement (rotation) of the arm work all right? If not, can you
detect the cause? Maybe it is the belt. Or the little motor does not
work at all. Then it probably should be replaced. In any case check
the wires.

There
is a third small motor for the unwinding of the nylon thread.

Keith
Monks manufactured the twin machine shown at the beginning of this
page and there is also the single machine. At one time a smaller,
somewhat less desirable (in my view) machine was manufactured (picture
at the right). Only if you can obtain that machine for just a few
$$$, it is an option. You probably will use the parts and built these
into a new cabinet which makes cleaning easier than the machine shown
in the picture at right suggests.

What does the cleaning liquid do? The cleaning
liquid probably does not exist as there are many solutions possible
and these are propagated by thousands of collectors. There are many
different cleaners and as many different views on how to clean vinyl
long playing records. At the end of the nineteen fifties, the problem
of dirty records became more and more an urgent topic for the record
collector. The stereo groove and the elliptical diamond had been introduced
and these prompted many audiophiles to rethink the best way of how
to achieve a as perfect a reproduction as possible. It was legendary
audiojournalist and inventor Percy Wilson from Great Britain who started
to consider using a machine for cleaning LP records. The aim was to
restore as much as possible the physical aspect of a record. Hitherto
the advice had been given to use a damp cloth, or even a flat, round
white sponge like the Rimington. That worked all right when playing
the old mono records with a spherical (conical) diamond tip which
rides high in the groove.

With
the increasing refinement of the vinyl compound, the cutting of
a wider frequency band, dedicated cleaning became even more urgent.
So record cleaning machines were constructed. In the beginning it
was advised to use equal parts of industrial alcohol and destilled
water. But various people started to devise and try specific liquids
which were made up of various ingredients. Various brands have been
marketed since. They all have their benefits and they all have their
inadequacies as they are mostly not suitable to deep clean the groove
so the signal is restored as much as possible.

LAST
(Liquid Archival Sound Treatment) offers an array of products for
restoring the groove of records which are still in relatively good
shape: special liquids and brushes. Also Nitty Gritty and Knosti
provide a relatively good clean. The same goes for L'Art du Son.
They all want to retain the original sound of the record. These
all have ingredients which make the diamond tip ride a smooth groove.

But
if the groove is more than dirty and dust and debris may have been
"burned" into the vinyl, these products hardly fulfill the
promise that the groove is cleaned. That is why a thorough cleaning
with a mix of water and alcohol may be undertaken first and then have
the record treated in a second wash with these high end formulas,
if you wish. But also here your ear is the best judge.

The
number of drops of detergent and/or wetting agent depends on
the effectivity of the product.
Some washing detergents have lower values for ionic and non-ionic
tensides. So some experimenting is necessary.
Wetting agents are manufactured by various companies:

Photo-Flo
by Kodak, Mirasol 2000 by Tetenal, Ilfotol by Ilford.

Ask
your camera shop.

You
will get experience when you are cleaning many recods and you
may adjust, or alter the formula of the cleaning liquid.

The
alcohol should be of the industrial kind without any additive.This alcohol is cheaper than the
medicinal type bought in the pharmacy which contains a small percentage
of fat and is called 'spiritus ketonatus fortior'. Let yourself be
advised by experts from the art supply shop or the paint shop. Take
care because the isopropyl is very poisonous; you need ventilation.
And ventilation will also be to the satisfaction of friends who bring
their records for cleaning.

If
you cannot find the fat free alcohol, you may use the 'spiritus ketonatus
fortior' type which is always less greasy than some commercial record
cleaners with greasing additives. The addition of isopropyl is specifically
advised if you cannot find the fat free alcohol. Be sure that the
distilled water is really distilled water, the type you buy at the
pharmacy, not the demineralized water!
Never use a glass cleaner or other aggressive product.

Use
a large plastic container that is big enough to hold 4 to 5 liter.First put in the contents of two bottles
(2 liters) of distilled water and add the drops of detergent. Shake
very well. Than add 1 liter of the alcohol and if you wish a little
bit of the isopropyl alcohol. And again shake very, very well. By
shaking the container, the liquids will mix well and the detergent
will foam. After you have stopped shaking the foam will go away after
about 5 to 10 seconds. If it goes away immediately you probably have
not added enough detergent. You will notice this when you put the
liquid on the spinning record on the cleaning machine: the liquid
does not spread evenly. So, add a few more drops more and shake again.
But be careful not to put too much detergent.

Many
formulas work with the Keith Monks machine. You can try whatever combination
of ingredients and eventually adjust the formula according to your
experience and the audible results you obtain. You can leave out the
isopropyl altogether if you wish.
In general one wash will be sufficient to clean a record side. The
result depends also on the time you leave the record spinning under
the brushes. If
you use a Keith Monks or Loricraft, the time of the brushing of a
record side should be about the same as the time it takes to dry one
side.

If you
use a different machine do take some time to brush the record. Do
not forget to keep the record wet all the time while cleaning!

It
is possible to play records wet with distilled water.It
will lower surface noise during play. At the same time however the
movement of the tip is somewhat reduced also. But that does not impair
the sound too much.

What
is important however if you play records wet, it is necessary to dry
the record before putting it back into the sleeve and cover. It is
better to clean the record after wet play. So that is where your vacuum
cleaning machine comes in handy.

Playing
wet is quite a hassle. Playing records using a special liquid likeLenco Clean(cleaning solution) is
even more complicated and because of the viscosity of the liquid will
impair the transient in the signal. There will be a reduced attack
in the drum, the cymbal, the piano and other percussion instruments.
I strongly advise against the use of Lenco Cleanor similar product. There are other solutions
to arrive at a reduced noise floor and a more controlled signal. Try
a Record Stabilizer Weight or a Stabilizing Ring.

Do
not believe the so called expert who advises you to use a window or
glass cleaner, or a bathtub product to remove dirt from the record's
surface. Never use these products. Also do not use solvents, thinners,
etc. for removing paint, glue or whatever is sticking to the vinyl.

There
are only a few liquids that you can safely use: industrial alcohol,
methylated spirit and turpentine.
Especially turpentine is useful for removing stickers (if you do not
use a commercial sticker remover from the chemist's), and for dissolving
and removing glue or a drop of paint stuck to the precious record.
What to do?
Go to the art supply shop and buy a brush. I use the Royal Talens
6 - 350. It is a relatively soft brush, but the hairs are sturdy enough
to rub against any glue or drop of paint, or whatever is on the vinyl
and needs to be dissolved and removed.

For
removing stickers: dip the brush in turpentine, press the hairs against
the bottle's opening to remove excess liquid and wet the sticker on
the record cover with the brush. Leave it for several minutes. Then
you can try to pull at a corner of the sticker and see if it detaches.
If not, apply some turpentine again and let the sticker soak. It may
be necessary to use just a little bit of force. But be careful! If
the sticker can be taken off, the cover will show some residue. Just
brush that spot once more and then use a paper tissue to wipe off
the rest of the turpentine, sticker and glue. If a stickers is put
over another sticker, you will have to repeat the procedure for each
sticker.Turpentine should not be used on the jewel boxes of CDs!

There
are stickers that do not soak up the turpentine because the surface
is not porous, as is the case with "golden" stickers. These
cannot be removed with any liquid and need some warm air from a hair
dryer or should be held carefully over an open fire (stove). If it
does not work, leave the sticker on.
Also be careful if you want to use turpentine on very old printed
cardboard/Kraft covers, because it may dissolve and smear the old
printing ink.

Turpentine
can be safely used on laminated covers and actually most modern covers.
If some of the turpentine is soaked up by the Kraft, cardboard or
paper, just leave it, it will eventually vaporize. Turntable
can of course be used on vinyl also. It is however greasy and you
should clean the record very thoroughly again after serpentine has
been applied.
I recently acquired a few first pressings of a vintage label. They
had been advertised as being unplayed and unopened. However three
of the five albums had been opened and glue of the sticker was smeared
on the vinyl over a wide area. There turpentine possibly could help.

I
soaked the brush in the turpentine and gently moved the brush over
the large spot and let it soak. After a while I moved the brush again
over the area, always parallel to the groove, waited again and repeated
the action. The glue was dissolving gradually and nicely, and I could
wipe it off with a tissue. After that of course I applied turpentine
once again. All residue had to be dissolved and removed. This has
to be done carefully and with patience. But the reward can be that
the record surface will be neat and the groove can be played again,
only of course after a few cleanings on the machine.

Another
disc had a sort of debris in circles stuck to a wide area. I was not
sure whether this could be removed or if it was not vinyl grain and
the groove was really damaged by playing it with a worn needle. The
only way to be sure was to apply turpentine with the brush. Again
I moved the brush in circles. Very gently. Than waited some time and
with the brush I could take off the residue of the pressing which
was made 50 years ago. And finally I could use the tissue to soak
up the rest of the turpentine. After that the disc needed two cleanings
on the machine. Surfaces of the other discs were also showing some
residue -they were first pressings that never had been played- and
before cleaning the record on the machine it was the turpentine that
helped.

That is why I generally do not buy factory sealed records. I only
buy them if I know I can trust the seller and the record can be returned.
'Factory sealed' is definitely no guarantee that they are MINT. Actually
they can be less than pristine. In some cases even the seller may
shrink-wrap the item.

Always remember: Before cleaning
a record on the cleaning machine, in the basin, or by hand, do always
clean the record with a carbon fiber brush and if necessary with a
soft velvet record brush before wetting and/or spinning the record.
Get rid of all the dust and debris without applying force. And if
this advice and these methods are new to you and you want to be sure
that they work, try it first on an 'old' record. Once you have learned
what you can and what you cannot do, you can start treating your precious
discs.

If
there are stickers on the record label, I would advise you to leave
them there and not to manipulate them, because the situation only
can get worse. But if you insist...
Removing stickers can be done by using a special sticker remover,
a solution which can be found in the drugstore or a specialized shop
with office or art materials. You better try the effectiveness of
this liquid on a dispensable record/record cover. Sometimes a label
is easily damaged. Apply the liquid and let the sticker soak for some
time. Then carefully try to lift the sticker at a corner. If it is
not detachable, do apply some more liquid and take more time.

You
can combine this method with the use of a hairdryer if it concerns
a cover. The hot air will generally soften the glue so the sticker
may come off easier. If it is a sticker on a label you can try the
same liquid. Sometimes labels are made of hard plastic or gold. Those
stickers may have a hard upper layer which makes soaking difficult.
Then the hairdryer comes in handy. Place a cardboard roll (the basis
of a wide packaging tape) on the label, around the sticker. Do not
position the roll over the dead wax or over the groove. Now hold the
hairdryer in the opening of the roll and blow hot air for a few seconds
inside the roll. Check if the sticker can be lifted at the edge. Do
this carefully. Do not use force. Then blow again for 5 seconds. Try
to remove the sticker a bit more. And so on and so forth. You probably
can also try the hairdryer method without the use of the sticker remover
solution if the remover does damage the color of the label. But that
can be a dangerous affair.

The
special sticker remover liquid can probably also be used for removing
ink. Try again on a dispensable record. I can not give you a brand
name of the sticker remover as every country has a different brand
name and probably a different composition of the liquid.

The
use of a hair dryer is not necessary if lighter fluid is applied.
Dan Prothero from San Francisco wrote:

"I
use Ronsonol brand fluid and it quickly unseats most any sticker from
any surface including vinyl LP labels. Just a few drops onto the sticker,
wait 30 seconds, and it peels off neatly. Any residue is easily removed
by wiping with a cloth that contains another few drops of fluid. Lighter
fluid works on uncoated stickers the best, but it's worked for me
on almost every sticker. If the sticker is metallic then the fluid
obviously wont penetrate it from above, but it's likely you can get
at it from beneath.... soak the sticker edges first, wait, then re-soak
and start peeling towards the center. repeat the process until it's
all off. don't rush it or you can pull up the paper with un-loosened
adhesive. My dad collects stamps and he uses lighter fluid on his
stamps to verify watermarks. It evaporates without a trace in about
a minute. it has never damaged his stamps, and so it should be considered
safe on LP labels too."

Always remember that I am not responsible
for any accident or damage of a record or label if you experiment.
Always let the record cool down gradually, never put a "hot"
record or record label under the cold tap. You can use this method
first with an old record that you would dispose of anyway. Do not
do it on a collectible item without having experience and without
knowing what the result will be. In most cases it is better to leave
the sticker on the label. The success of this method also depends
on the sort of paper used for a label.

Some
people claim that cleaning a vinyl record will damage the groove.Somebody wrote in a forum that he had
talked to people from a record company and these people said that
a record should never be cleaned with liquids, even if these liquids
have been specifically designed for vinyl record cleaning. But what
if you have a really dirty record that you want to play and you do
not want to damage the fine, polished diamond tip? Some people argue
that these record producers want vinyl records to sound mediocre,
so the CD will be more appreciated and the new SACD will count on
new enthusiasts who have enough of bad sounding, romantically crackling
records.

There
is much turbulence going on when a stylus follows the groove. A record
can collect small particles of dust and will get dirty in time. Before
playing a record it needs to be wiped gently with a soft velvet brush
or with one of these special carbon fiber brushes. Naturally these
brushes are only effective if the record's surface is relatively clean.

A
few months back there was a guy on the market who was selling a lot
of old records. I overheard him advising a client. He said that the
record should be cleaned with window cleaner. I corrected him and
from now on he no longer advises his clients to use window/glass cleaner.
Using glass cleaner definitely will ruin the vinyl. Never use that
stuff, it takes of the shiny glow of the vinyl and gives persistent
hiss and background noise. You easily can distinguish such a disc
from a copy not being cleaned with aggressive glass cleaner.

And
there is another possibility that a groove may be damaged. But
that is during the cleaning process and you do not dust the record's
surface with a carbon brush and get rid of dust and debris first before
applying the liquid. Many people just put the record on the cleaning
machine and start cleaning,. They forget that the dust and particles
will be accumulated by the cleaning brush and will ride over the vinyl
and in the groove, round after round. You can imagine what the result
is.

Cleaning a worn record will show a bad groove to advantage.
But playing the record after the cleaning process, and then cleaning
it again, may actually improve the groove. Only of course if the groove
suffered from dust and dirt. Not if it has been damaged by a worn
stylus tip. Then a record can not be bettered.

The
climate in the listening room has its influence also. Heavy smokers
should not be invited. Heavy smoking is not advised. The record can
collect greasy particles which float in the air.
Not carefully slipping the record in its sleeve after play will increase
the possibility that it collects dust and gets dirty.
And as said earlier: the use of grease/oil during the pressing process
in the factory is a necessity so the matrix and the vinyl record can
be separated easily. But the fat or oil hardens when the record cools
off. This hardened grease can give a ticking sound or a sound as if
there is a bump or other unevenness in the vinyl. Especially in the
nineteen seventies the application of the pressing oil or fat was
not always done carefully. Many buyers and also the personal in the
record shop thought that the records were damaged and traded them
in and they were sent back to the factory.

If
a record sounds bad even after cleaning, the groove must have been
damaged by playing on a bad turntable. Or the plastic of an old inner
sleeve may have been in contact with the vinyl over decades. Another
possibiliy is that the record can never be improved because the vinyl
is of bad quality and is not pure enough and contains a high percentage
of filler material. Such a record can hardly be improved.

And
last but not least, sometimes when pressing 180 gr. records, the matrices
and the vinyl have not been heated enough and the vinyl did not "flow"
during the pressing process. So the surface has a "bump"
or can have "loose particles" which will be transported
by the cleaning brush of the machine; especially if it is a sturdy
nylon brush.

The
only remedy to restore the signal of a dirty record is cleaning the
record with cleaning solutions. And these should be safe! The cleaning
solutions advised on this page will help you to restore the quality
of many records, in some cases completely, in others only to some
extend.

Do
not forget to clean the brushes of your cleaning machine from time
to time by letting them soak overnight in a basin with water and with
ample washing detergent added. Rinse them thoroughly the next morning,
and dry them with kitchin paper.

Does
cleaning a record damage the vinyl? When did you stop washing your
hair?

It
is very important to use the right kind of brushes that scrub
the record in a safe way. Some replacement brushes can be very
costly. If you do not want to pay $ 50 for a replacement brush,
I advise you to buy the supple Knosti Antistat brushes or the
Okki Nokki brushes which are made of pig's hair.

I
have used the Okki Nokki brushes with good results. In order
to mount these in the grey holder of the KM machine, the thin
black part of the brush has to be cut in height and the space
has to be filled up. So these brishes will fit and can be clamped
in the holder. If you are handy you certainly will find a way
to mount these or the Knosti brushes. The Knosti brushes can
be used for a longer period of time than the Okki Nokki depending
of how many hundred records you will be cleaning.

Seam
splits are a nuisance. They can get longer and longer and they
can damage the record if the inner sleeve is not new and does
not protect the rim of the record. The drawings show what can
be done. Of course, it is not easy. But if you are handy, you
will experience here too that practice can make perfect.
Take a long piece of 200 gr. paper or Kraft. The length should
be a little more than the split. Fold it along its length. See
to it that the paper stays folded. If you want to make it last
forever you can cover it entirely with a piece of wide transparent
adhesive tape. Then fold it again. Now cut the piece more or
less to the needed size. Fold it again, so it will better remember
the fold. Spread it out on an old newspaper and then put on
the glue and smear it out.

Now
comes the difficult part and that is slipping the piece into
the inside of the cover. You can bend the cover somewhat and
than put the piece in place. If you can get some help it will
make things easier. Clamp the seem for some time.
This method works best with covers made of thin cardboard or
Kraft. For sturdy, thick cardboard you could probably fold the
piece that you want to insert over the edge of a ruler and than
carefully move the ruler to the desired spot.

This
cleaning formula works also very well when using the DISCO ANTISTAT
(Knosti) device, as friends and collectors have told me, and some
have shown me. If you find the right balance of the ingredients you
will notice that there will be hardly any residue, hence not much
dirt does accumulate on the needle tip when first playing a record
cleaned with this ingenious device.
To eliminate the residue to the max you should use a second basin
(brushes included) just filled with distilled(!) water and rinse the
disc after being washed in the first basin.

Do
not think that by a few turns the record groove is well cleaned. As
on a Keith Monks the record turns for about a minute, you should turn
the record in the Disco ANTISTAT quite for some time. Here again your
experience will tell you if the wash is too short or is effective.

Since
isopropyl can cause leakage of the vinyl (as I am told), you should
avoid cleaning with just isopropyl. But you can use it in a mix. Just
add a small percentage to your formula. However the Library of
Congress once proposed a mixture of 20% isopropyl and 80% de-ionized
water. I tried that solution and it worked all right. A long time
ago I was told that isopropyl was toxic, more than any other solvent.

But
recently Dr. Pekka Keski-Rahkonen from Finland wrote to me: "I
would like to point out that using isopropyl alcohol should not be
avoided due to toxicity reasons. As per classification according to
EU Directives 67/548/EEC or 1999/45/EC, the substance is not classified
toxic, and is even used for skin desinfection purposes as a main constituent
in "rubbing alcohol". In contrast, methanol, which has traditionally
been used in "methylated spirits", is toxic and should be avoided."

I
myself use both methanol and a small amount of isopropyl in the cleaning
mix. In any case building an exhaust is no luxury. Even though I have
returned to my original formula. By the way, the Library of Congress
(LOC) have devised a new formula which I did not try, but looks rather
promising viewing its ingredients.

Whatever
machine or cleaning device you use, it is important to take dust and
other particles off the record before you start cleaning it with a
liquid. If you use a Keith Monks or other high speed machine, put
the record on the platter of the machine or on the platter of an old
turntable like a Goldring/Lenco (which you may have installed for
this purpose) with the B-side facing up. Then switch the machine on
and dust the record with a carbon fiber record brush. Stop the spinning.
Turn the record so that Side A is facing up. Dust off this side.

If the
record does not have rough particles, dirt and dust, you may start
the liquid cleaning process. Always put enough liquid on the surface
and spread it around before spinning the platter. The liquid will
prevent the record from being damaged by any left particles. If you
start cleaning now, you will automatically do Side A first. And then
Side B. So you will not get confused.

Another
important thing is to clean the brush(es) of your cleaning machine
at regular intervals. Dirt may stick to the brush(es) and eventually
will harm the groove.

In case
the dirt is really sticking to the vinyl and cannot be taken off with
the carbon fiber brush, than you will have to gently clean the record
under the tap first and dry it carefully with soft paper tissues.
Do not exercise pressure and do not smear the tap water plus dirt
over the record's surface, nor its label. Once you are satisfied with
the result and have dried the surfaces with tissue paper you may start
cleaning the record on the machine.

If dirt,
glue and other unknown materials were not removed from the disc by
the cleaning process, you can try other liquids like turpentine, benzene
and methylated spirit for removing persistent dirt. These liquids
will generally do no harm to the vinyl. Use a small brush to apply
the liquid and give the liquid time to do its job. In certain cases
you also may use cotton tips. After the dirt has been removed a paper
tissue will absorb excess liquid. Then the record can be cleaned again.
In case of the turpentine you may clean it more than once, or add
an extra drop of washing detergent.

Some
turntables have rather large spindles. And some records have spindle
holes which are too narrow. Most of the time it is the paper label
which is pressed at the edge into the spindle hole of the record.

You can
'create' your own spindle hole enlarger Buy a pair of small kitchen
scissors with blades that are about 8 mm wide in the middle at the
pivot (screw). Cut off one eye. Now you can fold the blades so that
they shift further over each other. The cutting edges are now at the
outside. Fold the two blade together so that they fit into the spindle
hole.

Take
the record in one hand and with the other you put the scissors blades
into the hole. The blades will always adjust to the size of the spindle
hole. Gently turn the scissors. The amount of pressure you apply will
determine the extend of widening the spindle hole. In most cases a
few light turns at one side will do.

Take
care that the debris (paper, vinyl) is taken off the record. Do it
with your finger. You can turn one finger nail in the hole and flatten/clean
the edge and blow the debris away. Try if the record fits on the turntable
without having to apply force. If it does not fit give the scissors
another light turn.

I have
been using this method for many years and it provides an even widening.
This is to my knowledge the best way to go about and will give good
results. Most of the time it is not the vinyl which is obstructing,
but the edge of the paper label that will prevent the record hole
to slide over the spindle.

After
thoroughly cleaning the record, I put it in a new sleeve.
Certain inner sleeves like the ones from Decca, London, Deutsche Grammophon
and Philips can be very cautiously cleaned with a paper tissue and
a few drops of methylated spirit. It takes some practice. In general
though I use a new inner sleeve and slip the original one (if it has
text and/or pictures) into the cover as well.

To avoid
mold caused by humidity and to avoid sticking of plastic to the surface
Philips used inner sleeves of thin, soft blotting paper, just
a folded sheet, no glue, no flip back borders. That was in the 1950's.
That was an excellent practice. Later the blotting paper was replaced
by folded sheets of white paper, and for the more expensive series
the sleeves were made of paper sealed inside plastic bags.
If you have 10" records without inner sleeves you can make these
yourself by choosing a nice quality of coated paper, fold it and cut
it to the right measurements so it will just fit into the 10"
cover.

There
are various inner sleeves available on the market and to my knowledge
the ones manufactured today are of the not sticking kind. Also
most sleeves from the nineteen seventies and eighties are of the right
kind. The sleeves will not stick to the surface if both the record.
Keep the sleeve clean. Do not use Lenco Clean or other fluids
on your records when you play them. These liquids will put a thin
film of sticky liquid on the record and on the inner sleeve, as you
may have noticed. On top of that Lenco Clean restricts the movement
of the needle tip and not only diminishes high frequency information
and kills an excellent transient response. And the transient is
just one of those valuable features of the analog LP which the CD
cannot perform at all because of its restricted bandwidth.

If
you want to play wet, than a preferred method is using distilled water.
In all cases it is of importance that you clean the record on a cleaning
machine after it has been played wet or at least see to it that
the surface is completely dry before you put the LP back into the inner
sleeve.

The quality of the sleeve is of the utmost importance. If you have very
old records with sturdy cardboard covers that hardly allow you to insert
a modern polylined paper sleeve, you could use the simple plastic
Nagaoka variety of inner sleeves. The Nagaoka inner sleeves do slip
easily into the old nineteen fifties/sixties cardboard covers. Be careful
though. They are thin and with the record inside, they also slip
easily out of your hand. It is far better to use the square double
lined all plastic inner sleeves as used by Proac, Soundstream, and others.

For
records from the nineteen seventies and eighties the modern polylined
paper sleeves are excellent. They are less expensive.

Many visitors
of my pages do ask me about how to store their valuable records. There
are various sites dealing with this subject. There is also advice from
the Library of Congress who in 1959 published a research paper on the
life expectancy of acetates, vinyl records and tapes. The conclusion
was that records could maintain their quality for over a century and
even tape had a rather long life if taken care of storage and maintenance.

Now, many
decades later, one can only agree with the finding that records can
have a very long life, provided humidity is kept relatively low, the
room temperature is not too high (preferably under 35 degrees or even
lower), records are kept out of the sun and heating sources can not
radiate directly on the albums, and the records should be stored vertically
and do not have room/space to bend. In hot climates they should be stored
in a room on the north side of the house/apartment, and the shelves
should have doors or venetian blinds. Rooms should have curtains.

Why keep
records for more than one hundred years? Well, the LP has the extraordinary
feature that its signal always can be reproduced because the information
in the groove is analogous and has to be read with a mechanical device.
One wonders if a century from now the CD still can be auditioned.
You have all the interest in keeping your records in good shape for
at least as long as you live and as long as you will be able to play
them.

To protect
old, valuable albums and also gatefold editions, I use outer sleeves
of transparent plastic. I use the thick variety which is supple, not
the hard kind. There is also a thinner, less sturdy transparent outer
sleeve available. The records are slipped into the sleeve from the top.
This makes it possible to store the album and pull it out of the cabinet
entirely without leaving the album on the shelve and holding just the
plastic outer sleeve in your hand.

Some
collectors have thousands and thousands of records.
The most efficient and cheapest way to construct shelves and cupboards
is by using coated chipboard availabkle in various lengths at the
DIY shop. You can choose 30 cm/12 inches wide or wider.

Make
compartments of 33 cm wide and 33 cm high.
See the picture below and the following drawings.

Since the
chipboard is only 30 cm (12 inches) wide (deep) you can glue/screw 3
cm of wooden strips to the outer panels facing the wall. Or you just
have a wider chipboard and have it cut to the desired size of 33 cm
or more.

You can
construct your shelves also from MDF if you like. The plasticized chipboard
however does not need primer and paint and the plastic layer is friendlier
to the cover than the painted Medium Dense Fiber board is.

Instead
of the vertical shelves you can make horizontal shelves on which other
rows of horizontal shelves can be stacked if you collection is growing.
You can build up to 6 rows of shelves. On the top you could place boxed
sets of records.
These are all suggestions of course and may help you to reflect on the
shelves you want to make yourself.

And if
you are not handy or want to adept shelves to the available space in
your listening room, you could opt for Ikea Bonde cases which present
a practical and esthetic solution.

For
7"/45 RPM records also shelves can be constructed. But it can be
a good idea to make containers of (birch) plywood, complete with a simple
or luxurious grip. Long containers need extra reinforcement half way.
The containers can be stacked and labeled.

RESPONSIBILITY:
Every so often you will find a link to the website of this or that
manufacturer, shop, or designer. These links are there for you to
inform yourself about interesting facts, products, views, etc. There
ends my responsoibility.